"Father, is it possible that I don't marry the duke?"

PAH!

The slap was expected, honestly. How could the daughter of a Marquess fight against the decree of the king or her father? In the end, she was just a pawn for the men in her life, every one of them.

While the king was doing it to solidify the position of crown prince for his favorite son, her father was doing it to save his neck. Giving a daughter wasn't too much to ask if it meant receiving the crown prince's favor.

And Natalia, well, wasn't impressed. She touched her face, the stinging pain on her cheek intensifying upon contact. She tapped it lightly with glowing fingers and the mark and pain were gone. If there was anything she was grateful for, it was the convenience of magic.

"Do you, Natalia Adamantine, take Fredrich Kristen to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and to serve for the rest of your life?"

For a split second, she was tempted to refuse. Death glares from all around the room focused on her, especially from beside and in front of her. She couldn't refuse, she wouldn't walk out alive. But her death was of no consequence. It was that she feared reliving the day and dying over and over.

"I do" she smiled brightly.

"Then this day, under God, you two are proclaimed husband and wife"

'Husband and wife, my foot. We are not even riding the same carriage home'

The Dukedom of Kristen, home to the Kristens for several generations. It was ruled by egregious men who thought themselves mightier than god himself. They could defy the command of the king and do whatever they wanted in the kingdom because they held the most powerful military. To get their support, the king had to offer the most suitable sacrifice, the shining star of the capital, Lady Natalia Adamantine.

The Kingdom of Ducroft was one built on magic. Magic was used for virtually everything and thus became a religion. The god worshiped by most of the kingdom was the very first mage, someone who surpassed mortality. Because of his influence, the people of Ducroft were able to use magic easier than others, especially since the kingdom was so close to the Forest of Damnation.

The territory closest to the forest, in charge of handling whatever crawled out from that hell, was the Dukedom of Kristen. It was immensely far from the capital and would take too long to travel by carriage so a teleportation magic circle was used. There was just a slight change in scenery and the next second, they were in the dukedom.

To the old Natalia, it was a frightening place of nightmares. The same was the case for the reborn Natalia. It had a frighteningly dreadful atmosphere, dark clouds hanging all year round. The huge towers of the castle just made it worse, spinning many rumors about the 'Castle on the Edge'.

If there was anything she hated more than the castle itself, it was that it was the nest of monsters. Dragons perched on the towers, fae flitted in and out, tormenting anyone who dared look their way. Every day she spent in the castle was absolute hell. But, there was one good thing there.

"I call on the mother of fairies, the bearer of light, Madaline"

Her hands glowed with a faint green light. She watched with anticipation and faint excitement as a small fairy dressed entirely in white appeared on her hand. She was as tall as a pen, more accurately described as a pixie. She had long green hair, hollow eyes, a small pointy chin, and two long ears.

She yawned, standing from her sleeping position. She rubbed her eyes, staring up to look at Natalia after her eyes were cleared.

{You must be the one who woke me from slumber. What is it you desire?}

"A companion"

{How can you speak the language of the fae? What are you?}

"I am...."

"My lady, it is time for us to enter the house. I'm opening the carriage now"

Natalie whispered a spell and the fairy in her hands disappeared. She adjusted her gown and the carriage door was opened. A long red carpet was extended in front of her and at the bottom of the stairs stood her husband.

His dark red eyes urged her to hurry with a hint of disgust. He looked handsome, too handsome to be real. He had long blonde hair with red eyes and pale skin, as opposed to her darkened skin and dark red hair. She was often insulted by him and many others for her features, demeaned to lesser than a human. She knew just what kind of beast lay behind his red eyes.

She disembarked the carriage, walking up beside him. She wasn't the shining star of the capital for nothing. Her manners and etiquette were perfect with intelligence and wisdom surpassing the other ladies of the capital. Her husband only hated her because she was forced on him and he loved another.

She walked up to where he stood, staying two steps behind him as a wife did. He walked up the stairs, ignoring the fact that she was still in the cumbersome wedding gown. She sighed, walking after him, keeping up with his pace. Having to relive such a day, god really hated her.

"Welcome to the Dukedom of Kristen, my lady. I am the grand butler, Corren. I am in charge of the household so if you need anything my lady, please don't hesitate to meet me. A butler has already been assigned to you and I promise they will provide exemplary service. They will explain the rules of the dukedom to you and help with your everyday needs"

"Thank you, Butler Corren" she smiled at the bowing man. Her husband had already disappeared into the dukedom, most likely going to work. He needed time to abandon his feelings and commit to his marriage. Pfft! Like that's true!

Meanwhile, trouble was arising as they spoke. Butler Corren looked like a sensible, kind old man. He was a capable grand butler, working for the dukedom ever since he was a young man. In the past, Natalia thought he'd at least be cordial to her but he dropped her in a heartbeat. It was sad.

"This is your butler, Wilbur. He will lead you to your room"

Wilbur, her butler, and personal bully. He was someone who grew up with the duke and despised the fact that he was not happy in his marriage. He intentionally left out many rules about the house, letting Natalia get in trouble knowing no one would blame her for it. In the first place, no one liked her so it didn't matter if she was innocent or not.

"I'll be in your care, Butler Wilbur" she smiled, extending her hand. He took it and kissed it. He was also handsome, taking advantage of that to sleep with many maids, bullying them into silence. He never got retribution as far as Natalia knew. He was scum like the rest of them.

'Even if I don't ruin anyone, I won't let you go scot-free. But first, Madaline'

Once she was alone in the huge and oppressive room, she called Madaline out again. If she wanted to survive long enough in the dukedom, she needed the fairy mother and a concrete plan.